Time and Time Again
by AMC
Summary: *Chapter Three posted* My spin-off of #54. When Tobias finds the Time Matrix, he sees the opportunity to undo Rachel's death. But what he doesn't see are some of the other effects that changing time could have. Tobias uncovers and uses the Time Matrix
1. Prologue & Chapter 1

Author's Notes: This idea occurred to me while I was reading #54. I wondered what Tobias might be going through as the war ended. And I wondered what would happen if he discovered the Time Matrix. What would he change? After several weeks, I started writing. This is just the prologue and first chapter. More will follow. Though it might take some time, since I'm writing another story too. Please read & review. Let me know what you think of this idea and what you see happening with it.

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TIME AND TIME AGAIN

PROLOGUE

The Time Matrix. There is no other device, tool or weapon in the universe with such power. Some weapons may be used to destroy people, places, and things. Some weapons can totally obliterate them from existence. But the Time Matrix can do so much more. With the Time Matrix, you can not only kill your enemy. You can do more than destroy an enemy's existence in the present and future. You can destroy your enemy in the past. You can prevent your enemy from existing. Ever. You could kill your enemy at birth. You could prevent you enemy from being conceived.

That is the power of the Time Matrix. It has such great power to be used, and misused. It has such great ability to be used for good, but also for evil. In the hands of a good person it could be used for decent purposes. In the hands of an evil person it could be used for destruction. The one to harness its power can literally rewrite the history of the universe. Such a person could be nearly omnipotent. Nearly invincible. Such a person would hold almost limitless power.

But to truly hold this power, a person would need to know the consequences of using the Time Matrix. There is a saying I have heard many times: "A single butterfly, beating its wings in China, can start a tornado in America." Meaning, one small action can have a profound effect on the world. One man can affect the course of history of a nation, of a world, of a galaxy, and even of a universe. Some individuals have effected the course of history through their own intellect, without the aid of the Time Matrix. I have had the opportunity of meeting and even befriending some of these individuals.

My name is Erek. At least it is my name in this "life." I have lived dozens of human lives. I am a Chee. An android. We are nearly invincible, nearly immortal. Yet we are not dangerous. Our creators were the Pemalites. They were peaceful, and they created us to be the same. We are incapable of violence. Our programming will not permit it.

In my time on Earth I have observed thousands of years of human history. I have watched since the time that humans lived in primitive tribes. I have seen them grow and develop to the point that they are at this day. Many of my people have been amazed at their rate of development. Few races have advanced in technology as quickly as the human. Humans are known for their ability to adapt. And humans adapt quickly.

Some humans are humble. They only want to do what is right. Such people do not care about the praise of others. Some humans are proud. They are arrogant and do only what is in their own self-interest. They care only about looking good in the eyes of others. But many humans are somewhere in between. They want to do good, but can't ignore their own desires, for better or worse. Some want to do what is right, but don't always stop to think of the consequences of their actions. They want to help others, but want to be happy. And nobody's perfect. Everyone makes mistakes from time to time.

It is inevitable that a human using the Time Matrix, even if for the best of intentions, will make a mistake. If one uses it to change the past, it is impossible to see all the possible effects making that one small change can have. Though he intended to do right, he cannot know how many things he set wrong. He may hurt the innocent, even those whom he intended to help.

Right now, I am standing here in the wreckage that was once our city. I know I will not have to wait long. He will be here soon. I wait. I wait in the place where the Animorphs' story began. Though none would recognize this as that construction site. It looks nothing like it did several weeks ago.

This place holds a secret. It is easier to find now, though none but the closest observer would notice. It is still mostly buried. A human could walk right by without seeing it. It would take the eye of a hawk to notice it.

I stand here waiting for that hawk, who is not truly a hawk. I know he will come. It's already part of history. This is not my story. I only play a small, yet important part in it. This is the story of that hawk.

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CHAPTER ONE

My name is Tobias. And I was one miserable-looking hawk.

I am Tobias Fangor. I have always been known as Tobias. Though many would not know me by my last name. It was only two years ago that the identity of my real father was revealed to me. My father's alias when he was on Earth was Al Fangor. And now I take his last name, as I should.

He died while giving Earth a chance. It was he who gave me and the others now called the Animorphs the power to change into any animal we touch. He hoped by doing so, he would give Earth a chance to survive a little longer, until his people could come and save us.

We're lucky the Andalite's didn't destroy us as well. They were that obsessed with ridding the universe of the Yeerk threat, that they would destroy a whole planet, if necessary, to do so. They were ready to destroy Earth and every living thing on it to defeat the Yeerks.

The Andalites were prepared and had more firepower. But at great sacrifice... too many sacrifices, so much of it meaningless. But with sacrifice we were able to defeat the Yeerks before the Andalites destroyed them and all humankind along with them. It was more than my father hoped for from us, though I know he'd be proud.

The final battle cost us one of our own. It cost the life of the one who meant everything to me. And now... the girl I love is dead, never to return. It was devastating. Rachel is dead, and my life seems so empty without her. What would life be like without her?

I was so frustrated, so angry. I swerved to avoid one of the rare trees in this desert. I shouldn't be so caught up in my own thoughts. Distractions could be deadly in this weather.

I was angry at Visser One for leading the war. I was angry at Jake for sending Rachel alone on the Blade Ship. I was angry at the Yeerk in Tom's head for being so treacherous. I was angry at the Controller in polar bear morph that killed her. I felt so much frustration and anger. I had no way to really vent it.

Rachel was the first to truly love me. She didn't care about what my outward appearance was. She didn't care that when I was fully human I was a geek and a bully magnet. She cared for me like no one else did. She was the one who helped me to believe I was worth something. That I mattered as an individual. Because of her I know that I can be loved.

I saw a news report last week. Apparently the Yeerks just threw Rachel's lifeless body into space like garbage. The Andalites found her and brought her back to Earth. The funeral was to be held near the destruction that was once our home in California. It was stupid of me to take off at Washington. But I wasn't thinking then. I just needed to get away. Away from Jake, away from the Andalites, away from the media... just away from all of it. I needed some time alone. Washington's just so far away from everything I know. It's more than 2,000 miles away from the meadow I once called home. I was now rushing back there as fast as I could. I had to make it back in time for her funeral.

I flew as a hawk as long as possible, but let's face it. Hawks aren't meant for flying mile upon mile. I have used many morphs to get this far. My duck morph has been useful... that is, when I could find a flock of ducks going the right direction. I have used my cheetah morph. Very fast, but likewise not meant for endurance running. I've used my wolf morph. A wolf is good for endurance running, but relatively speaking, not very fast.

But morphing is also tiring. Which is why I was once again in my true hawk form. I had actually made pretty good time. But who would expect that over the Salt Flats of western Utah, one of the biggest deserts in the United States, that I would come across this terrible thunderstorm? I was drenched. Flying was nearly impossible. But I couldn't afford to stop. I had so little time. I had to be in California in two days.

Another particularly strong gust of wind hit me. I used every technique I knew to keep moving forward, but it was impossible in this kind of weather. I finally swept toward the ground and landed on top of an overgrown sagebrush, one that would not be moved by the wind.

None of the tricks I used before would work right now. I'd actually made it some distances by latching onto bike racks of cars moving westward. You think roller coasters are exciting? Try landing on a car and holding on as it speeds up to about 75 miles per hour. I thought diving was thrilling. I can control my speed in a dive. But on top of a car I had no control over the speed. Letting go wasn't an option, that is, unless I wanted to go spinning beak over talons and end up as road kill. After one close call I decided that it was too dangerous.

It wasn't even an option right now. I had to be at least fifty miles from the nearest road that would take me west. I was going to have to stop. That was the last thing I wanted to do. If I had to stop, I was left with nothing to do but think. And thinking was the last thing I wanted to do right now.

Every time I was left with my own thoughts, her death would creep back into them. I kept seeing it over and over again. Time and time again. I saw that Controller in polar bear morph, as he raised his paw and brought it down on Rachel. Even in human form Rachel could hardly be called defenseless. But standing there alone, just a 16-year old girl, she never stood a chance against a beast of that size. She was slammed against the wall and there was no doubt in my mind that she was dead. No human being could have survived that blow.

I didn't want to think of it. She was dead. But the hawk had nothing to focus on in this weather. The hawk was only concerned that it was wet. I couldn't lose myself inside the hawk right now. All I could do was remember her death. Again and again. I was powerless to do anything to prevent it. All I could do was watch from the bridge of the Pool Ship as she was mercilessly killed.

I would have done anything to prevent it. Anything. But as they say, "You can't change the past." But how much I wish I could. She should be alive. Alive!

ARRRGGGHH!! I cried out in frustration in open thoughtspeak.

I guess I eventually fell asleep. Because when I came to, both the wind and rain were gone. Just a few lingering gray clouds. It couldn't have been more than an hour. I saw a flock of ducks coming from the east. I was in luck for a change. I made the morph to duck as quickly as possible and took to the sky. I joined their flock as they continued power flying to the west. I could stick with them until I neared the two-hour limit. They would take me closer to the place I once called home. To the funeral of the one I love.

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Add. Author's Notes: Don't forget to review. I hope to have Chapter Two up in about a week or so.


	2. Chapter 2

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CHAPTER TWO

I struggled for altitude as I neared the peak of the mountain. I continued flapping as I finally soared over the mountain and came upon the scene I had been dreading to look at for days. It had been less than three weeks since Visser One ordered the destruction of the area surrounding the former Yeerk Pool. I had watched as the hoards of Bug Fighters carried out his order.

The destruction was still very evident. Very little of the city had survived. There was nothing but destruction for miles. It normally would have been difficult to spot a crowd of people in this city. But the city was still almost completely deserted. The clean-up crews hadn't made it far in clearing the destruction. But with my hawk vision, it wasn't difficult to spot the crowd surrounding a surviving cemetery near the coast.

That was where Rachel would be. But that was also where Jake would be. I was nothing close to being ready to face him again. But I had to be there. For Rachel, and no one else. I glided down toward the cemetery.

As I neared, I noticed the Hork-Bajir, standing in rows, forming an honor guard. Toby was standing with them. There were Andalites there as well, standing at attention as soldiers do. It didn't take too much effort to spot Alloran off to the side. It was still strange to look at the face that had been that of our enemy's for so long. But on his face, all the malevolence, and all the hatred that we always saw on Visser One's face was gone. Alloran looked as humble as any Andalite is capable of.

I circled the cemetery, but kept my distance. I didn't want to be seen yet. As I continued through the air, I noticed General Doubleday, along with many other men and women dressed in military uniforms. And soon after I saw the President. He was surrounded by at least a dozen secret service agents.

And then I saw the urn. Inside of it must have been all that was left of Rachel. It was small and white, with a simple design lacing around it. It had a simple beauty that reminded me so much of Rachel. Though it wasn't big, it would still be a challenge for me to carry. But that would wait until after the service.

And finally, I saw them. The rest of the surviving Animorphs were seated near the urn, except for Ax, of course, who was standing. Cassie kept looking toward the sky, as though looking for something. Me, I realized. She was searching the sky for me. I smiled internally. She still knew me too well. But I was still well out of her sight. Jake sat at her side, with an almost blank expression on his face. He looked so sad, so regretful. Marco was on his other side, though he was putting on a good face for the media. If any of us would be able to benefit from this war, I could tell it would be him.

I watched as the memorial service started. I continued circling, and riding thermals through all the speeches, though I was too far away to hear what was said. As the final speaker sat down, I came closer. Cassie finally spotted me as I rode one more thermal directly overhead. As the band began playing some music that had matched my mood, I made my approach. I began my dive, coming closer. I then flared my wings and landed on the box where the urn rested.

One of the ushers ran up and tried to shoo me off. Jake surprised me by grabbing the man's arm and pulling him away. Thank you, I said to him in private thoughtspeech. He nodded slightly.

I flapped a little and grasped the urn's handle with my talons. I turned toward Rachel's mother, who was sitting with Jordan and Sara on the other side of Cassie. Her eyes were red from crying, and her face was tear-stained. But she looked toward me and nodded as she sobbed.

I then turned toward Cassie. I think she had already suspected this. She opened her mouth and spoke. "Yes, Tobias," she said quietly. "She would want it."

With strength I didn't realize I had, I lifted the urn and took to the sky, leaving the mourning crowd behind me. I caught a thermal and flew across the ruins of the city with Rachel. I struggled to keep altitude.

As I neared the hole that marked the location where the Yeerk Pool had been located, something caught my eye. It was almost exactly where the Pool Ship had landed. As I thought through the geography, I realized that it was where the construction site once stood. That was a twisted irony. The same location that Elfangor had given us the power to morph was where we boarded the Pool Ship as we began the final battle. Our involvement with the Yeerk invasion of Earth had started and ended in almost exactly the same place.

I swooped closer to the ground, wanting a closer look. What I saw shocked me! It was almost completely buried. It must have taken a lot of destruction to uncover it. First our destruction of the Yeerk Pool, followed by Visser One's destruction of the surrounding area, and then the slaughter of the auxiliary Animorphs, all in this spot. The dracon beams had dug right through the bedrock, leaving a crater in what used to be the construction site. But I could still make out the tank tracks from General Doubleday's army. A lot of destruction had happened here. A lot of death as well.

No wonder we had never seen it before. It had to be buried about nine or ten feet down. Even now I could barely see it under a thin layer of dirt. But the light and energy that emanated was unmistakable. I had only seen this device once before. It was during the incident when we were chasing Visser Four through time. We had used it to undo the timeline Visser Four had created. It was the Time Matrix.

I nearly forgot my purpose in carrying the urn. With a mental sigh, I left the Time Matrix and again flapped for altitude. The Time Matrix could wait an hour. I finally left the edge of the ring of destruction and landed in a tree I was very familiar with. I rested the urn against the trunk. I was back in my meadow. I was directly over the spot that Rachel and I had eaten lunch several months earlier.

I was struggling to find food then. She had thoughtfully gone to McDonald's and bought Big Macs and fries for us. It was an interesting date. It was the last one we'd had before she, Jake, and Cassie were forced to flee from their homes when Visser One had discovered we were human.

I carefully lifted the lid from the urn and once again took the handle in my talons. I spread her ashes across my meadow. This would be Rachel's final resting place. I knew she'd be happy here. It was a place that was filled with memories for both of us.

I retrieved the lid for the urn and carefully set it and the urn at the base of the tree. This would be my memorial to Rachel.

I stayed for some time and pondered on Rachel. I then remembered the Time Matrix. Of course! The Time Matrix! Why hadn't I realized it before? With the Time Matrix I could fix what had gone wrong. With the Time Matrix, I could go back and change things so that Rachel would not have died senselessly. I could erase my loneliness and bring Rachel back to life.

Visser Four had messed up when he changed time. He had changed so much that he outsmarted himself. But I wouldn't repeat his mistakes. He had changed time because he was power-hungry. I would do it out of love and caring. I would do it to save Rachel. And who knows how many lives I could save with the Time Matrix? I could make things right.

I laughed, thinking of the possibilities. I would show whoever it was that said you couldn't change the past. He didn't have his own Time Matrix. I once again flew toward the place where I had first met my father, the place where the Time Matrix had been hidden. I thought of how it would only be a matter of time. Soon, Rachel would once again be alive. Yes, soon I would be with her again.

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Author's notes: I wasn't planning on getting Chapter Two up so quickly. But I finished it early, so here it is. Tobias has seen the Time Matrix and embraced the idea of using it. We'll see what he does with it in the next chapter. Please review. I'd also like to thank my beta readers, Ruby and Gooner, for their help with this story. If you liked this, read and review my other story, "The Upperhand."


	3. Chapter 3

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CHAPTER THREE

As I flew back over the destruction, I thought even more of what I could do with the Time Matrix. I could prevent all of this. I could prevent the destruction of our city. I could prevent the Yeerks from discovering that we were human. And if I planned it right, I could prevent the Yeerks from ever coming to Earth. That's what I could do.

But some nagging thought kept me from doing that. Though Earth would be a much safer place if the Yeerks never came, Rachel and I would never have developed the relationship we had. I barely knew Rachel before we became Animorphs. If life had continued naturally for us, we'd never even have become friends, much less anything more.

No, I wouldn't stop the invasion completely. It would be just as bad to have Rachel not know me, not love me, as it would to lose her to death. But there were plenty of other things I could do.

I arrived at the place where the Time Matrix was buried. It was going to take a lot to get it out of the ground. I only had one morph that could grind through rock that dense, and it wasn't one I enjoyed. I released a mental sigh as I began the morph to Taxxon.

I started lengthening out to the long round body. I started to fall toward the ground, but just before I would have hit, dozens of long spindly legs sprout out to catch me. My wings and tail then withered away. My beak next began growing many razor-sharp teeth before rounding out into the Taxxon's mouth. The last changes were in my eyes. Each split into two, and then my sharp hawk eyes became vastly different compound eyes.

And then the Taxxon's hunger hit. Unless you've been a Taxxon, you can't begin to comprehend its hunger. It's like nothing else on Earth. It was easy to see why the Taxxons would rather become nothlits than live in the body of a cannibalistic caterpillar like this. I focused the hunger on the rocks below me. The rocks weren't in any way filling to the Taxxon, but little is filling to a hunger such as this.

As I let the Taxxon feed on the rock, my thoughts turned to the other Animorphs. This was something I should get them to help me with. This was the ultimate mission. But thinking back to the last time we'd seen the Time Matrix, I realized that none of them would be likely to help me. They might even try to stop me. Marco and Cassie were definitely opposed to using the Time Matrix to change history. Ax wasn't too keen on the idea either. Who knows what Jake thought of it? But I still didn't feel like approaching Jake. His decision was part of what cost Rachel her life.

Ironically, Rachel would have been the only one to support me on this. The decision as whether or not to use the Time Matrix had been taken away from us. But Rachel and I stood together on that issue. We both wanted to get rid of the terrible things that had happened in the past, like Hitler and the Holocaust. Marco, Cassie, and Ax all thought it was better to let history run its course than to make the world a better place.

Once I prevented Rachel's death, she could help me to put right some of those terrible things. There was so much we could do. And with the Time Matrix, we had all the time in the universe to do it in. We could...

I was suddenly jerked back to reality as I realized what my Taxxon body was doing. I'd lost focus and the Taxxon's instinct for finding food had taken over. I had dug through the wall of the sunken Yeerk Pool and was now swimming through the sludge eating the remains of the dead Yeerks. Though I was now aware of what I was doing, I was powerless to stop it. If I were a human watching this, it would have been enough to make me sick.

Nooo! I cried out. I started cursing myself mentally for having lost control. I already knew how easy it was to lose control over the Taxxon. I knew better than losing myself in it. It was a relief that all the human bodies had since been removed from the pool. I didn't know if I'd been able to live with myself if I'd started eating human flesh, in Taxxon morph or not.

I finally did the only thing I could to get rid of the Taxxon's hunger. I began to demorph. I was relieved as the first thing to change was the Taxxon's mouth. I struggled to stay above the liquid as my body slimmed to its hawk form. Then the dozens of Taxxon legs slurped back up into my body. As soon as I had my wings back I flapped to get out of the sludge. I aimed for the tunnel I created, but unfortunately I didn't have my hawk eyes back yet and I slammed into the side of the tunnel.

I cursed myself again as I finished the demorph. As I waited for my hawk's body to recover, I once again decided that I would never morph a Taxxon again. I could deal with the hunger of a hawk. At least a hawk can feel full. But a Taxxon will eat until he is so bloated that he'll burst.

As soon as I was sufficiently recovered, I carefully and gingerly flew up the tunnel I had created. I was then privileged to view the Time Matrix. It still wasn't completely uncovered. But it was enough that I could touch it, and that was all I'd need to do to use it.

I began to morph to human. It would be easier to place a human hand on the Time Matrix than trying to perch on its smooth slick surface. As I morphed, I thought about what I could do to save Rachel. Just evening up the odds a little would help. I'd fight alongside her. That would increase her chances of survival. Between the two of us we could take down those morphed Controllers. We made a deadly team.

Once I finished the morph, I placed my hands on the Time Matrix. As I felt the slight tingle I focused on the Blade Ship. I needed to go back before Tom had come back aboard. That would give me time to morph and be ready for the attack.

I felt a slight sense of displacement as the Time Matrix carried me aboard the Blade Ship. I was in an empty room. I demorphed and then began to morph into polar bear. I was going to need something big to move the Time Matrix to somewhere it could be hidden.

I was about halfway though the morph when a door opened and two Hork-Bajir Controllers walked in. I groaned inwardly. This wasn't what I'd planned. Both Hork-Bajir blinked in surprise.

"Animorph!" one of them gasped in shock.

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Author's Notes: Sorry I made everyone wait so long for this chapter. June was kind of a hectic month for me. However, things are starting to settle down and I hope to get the next chapter up quicker. Please review or e-mail me with your thoughts and ideas about the story.


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